Episodes

  • Cheating ethics, sextortion scammers and Love Island’s manosphere
    Jul 24 2025


    The Coldplay KissCam controversy has everyone talking about cheating, so this week we’re weighing in on affairs and internet sleuthing, as well as the scary rise of ‘sextortion’, investigated by Jordan Stephens’s brilliant new doc. Also on the show: Love Island’s toxic masculinity problem, Charli XCX’s wedding, yet more Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni drama and plenty of fab recs, from a fascinating memoir about the News of the World scandal and the new Jurassic World, to Eric Bana’s slick Netflix detective show and the funniest comedy you’ll see all year.


    We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!


    Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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    Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠


    Recs/reviews


    • Jurassic World:Rebirth, in cinemas now
    • Pulp Kitchen, Jurassic World Rebirth
    • Could we make a real Jurassic Park? Why? with Emma Kennedy
    • The Return of the Dire Wolf, Time Magazine
    • Heads of State, Amazon Prime
    • Lion, Amazon Prime
    • Love Island 2025, brought to you by the manosphere, Glamour
    • Hunting My Sextortion Scammer, Channel 4
    • Don’t Let it Break You Honey, Jenny Evans
    • Untamed, Netflix
    • Such Brave Girls, BBC iPlayer
    • Sweet Bobby, Tortoise Media
    • Why does Gen Z smell like sugar? Vox
    • Yuka app
    • Weleda Skin Food







    .

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    52 mins
  • Surgery, celeb gossip, dating and babies: your questions answered!
    Jul 23 2025


    Today’s topics have all been chosen by you, huns, in our first ever ask us anything Q&A ep! From tweakments and our most embarrassing celeb encounters to dating, the apps and planning for children, nothing is off limits as we dive into your nosiest questions. We also weigh in on the Tattle Life debate and get into whether the influencer gossip forum is toxic or necessary, as well as advice for a listener going through it and the myth of having it all. Thank you sooo much to the hunnies who sent in questions, we’ll be answering some more in another ep v soon x


    We love hearing from you, so please DM us questions, recs or bonus ideas ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod on Insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk.⁠ Plus follow us on TikTok @straightuppod! And please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going!


    Recs


    • “Trolls on Tattle Life mercilessly tore me apart. The police told me there was nothing they could do” Grace Victory, Stylist
    • The Big Kids Question: does anyone want to be a parent anymore
    • Choosing love over IVF, with Camille Charrière, Conversations on Love with Natasha Lunn, Substack







    .

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    53 mins
  • Lena Dunham's Too Much, the Salt Path controversy and a Beckham prenup
    Jul 17 2025

    Lena Dunham remains one of the most controversial people in pop culture, but that hasn’t stopped a glittering roster of A Listers from appearing in her fun new London-based Netflix romcom Too Much. We assess some of her biggest online scandals, while looking at how autobiographical the show really is. Plus, an explainer of the Salt Path: the latest furore to rock the publishing industry. Are readers right to feel betrayed by writer Raynor Winn’s alleged lies and does publishing have a fact-checking problem? We’ve also got yet another juicy little Beckham family feud update for you, hunnies, plus a debate on whether prenups are feminist and two fab book recs!


    We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuupod too!


    Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.0% APR var. T&Cs apply.


    Try BookBeat for free for 60 days (w 40 hrs of listening) and stream millions of audiobooks using our code straightup at bookbeat.com


    Recs/reviews

    • My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
    • The Tenant by Freida McFadden
    • Too Much, Netflix
    • Too Much: what film and TV get wrong about London, BBC
    • Did the Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff Relationship Lore Inspire Too Much?, Marie Claire
    • Will Sharpe went too hard on himself in the Too Much finale, Vulture
    • Lena Dunham’s change of pace, New Yorker
    • Too Much Is Full of Lena Dunham Lore, Vulture
    • TALA founder: ‘We weren’t going to make payroll — so I sold my car’, Financial Times
    • The real Salt Path: how a blockbuster book and film were spun from lies, deceit and desperation, The Observer
    • The Salt Path revelations should be no surprise to anyone in publishing, The Observer


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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Brad Pitt’s PR tricks, the American Apparel cult and Charlize Theron
    Jul 10 2025

    Brad Pitt’s carefully crafted F1: The Movie promo run has us thinking about how celebrities script their own stories and how easily we buy into them. From Brad’s quiet erasure of abuse allegations by Angelina Jolie to Chris Brown packing stadiums despite a long history of violence, we’re diving into the messy, age-old question: can you really separate the art from the artist? Also this week: a gorgeously candid Charlize Theron interview, Tim Key’s rom-com of the summer The Ballad of Wallis Island and Netflix’s jaw-dropping exposé on the cult of American Apparel and the toxic founder Dov Charney.


    We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuupod too!


    Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.0% APR var. T&Cs apply.


    Try BookBeat for free for 60 days (w 40 hrs of listening) and stream millions of audiobooks using our code straightup at bookbeat.com


    Recs/ reviews:


    • Birnam Wood, Eleanor Catton
    • Charlize Theron, Call Her Daddy
    •  Brad Pitt is Fooling You, Vulture
    • A Complete Timeline of Chris Brown’s Controversies, People
    • Scooter Braun, Diary of a CEO
    • Brad Pitt, GQ interview by Otessa Mosfegh, 2022
    • I think I'm done with being interviewed by women. Jameela Jamil Substack
    • Millie Bobby Brown, ageing and Lucy Boynton on domestic violence, our March 6 episode
    • Trainwreck:The Cult of American Apparel, Netflix
    • The Ballad of Wallis Island, in cinemas now

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    49 mins
  • The Bezos wedding, surgery transparency and a Glastonbury debrief
    Jul 3 2025

    Billionaires, botox, and a newly single Orlando Bloom – this week we’re diving into Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s ultra-extravagant Venice wedding, a spectacle that’s reminded the internet that money definitely can’t buy taste. From the Hollywood attendees that made headlines like Sydney Sweeney and Leonardo DiCaprio to the inevitable backlash to the whole thing, we’re getting into it all. Also, as Khloe Kardashian follows in Kylie Jenner’s footsteps and comes clean about her plastic surgery, we’re asking just how much we should applaud the KarJenners for their new transparency. And Ellie reports back from Glastonbury!


    We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuupod too!


    Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.0% APR var. T&Cs apply.


    Try BookBeat for free for 60 days (w 40 hrs of listening) and stream millions of audiobooks using our code straightup at bookbeat.com


    Recs/ reviews:


    • The Affair with Anna Williamson
    • Story Time with Kayla Jade
    • Waterfront, Netflix
    • The Shark Whisperer, Netflix
    • The Shallows
    • 47 Metres Down
    • House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J Maas (Crescent City series)
    • Deep Cover, Amazon Prime
    • The Dark Poetry of the Bezos Wedding, Atlantic
    • Vogue's Confidently Oblivious Lauren Sánchez Cover Story, Back Row, Substack
    • Khloé Kardashian Is Talking About Her Plastic Surgery Too, The Cut

    .

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • NOUGHTIES IT GIRLS: feuds, falls and the reign of the tabloids
    Jun 26 2025

    We’re on hols this week, hunnies, but ofc we weren’t going to leave you without an ep! So, we’ve dug into the archives and stitched together one of our very first specials: a *very* juicy two-parter on the iconic Noughties ‘It Girls’ Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Nicole Richie, which feels extremely relevant right now thanks to the publication of the amazing new book Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves. In this deep-dive, we cover everything from the toxic rise of tabloid culture and the paparazzi, to how this era ended up shaping celebrity and pop culture as we recognise it today. We know most of you haven’t heard this one yet and so we want to rectify that, bc we’re very proud of it!


    We hope you enjoy and we’ll be back to usual business next week! We would love to hear your thoughts, pop culture recs and future special ideas so DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠. Plus follow us on TikTok @straightuupod too! And please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going x




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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 hr and 52 mins
  • WEDDINGS: pop culture, tradition and marital myths
    Jun 25 2025

    It’s wedding szn hunnies so we get into the bonkers and wonderful world of weddings, from the most absurd and insufferable wedding tropes to our favourite wedding pop culture, including two excellent book recs. Plus, a few top tips from recent bride Kathleen!


    We really hope you love this bonus special! We would love to hear your thoughts on all things weddings or ideas for future bonus eps, so DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠. Plus follow us on TikTok @straightuupod too! And please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify – it really does help keep us going x


    Recs/reviews

    • The Fence
    • The Wedding People, Alison Espach
    • You’re Cordially Invited, Amazon Prime
    • The Materialists, in cinemas August
    •  The Ballad of Wallis Island
    • Father of the Bride
    • Bridesmaids
    • The Bachelorette
    • An Attempt to Make Sense of the Jennifer Lopez Wedding Industrial-Complex Canon, Vulture
    • Four Weddings and Funeral
    • Shotgun Wedding
    • Ticket to Paradise
    • Crazy Rich Asians
    • The Princess Diaries
    • All Hail the New York Influencer Who Posted TikToks Throughout Her Wedding, The Cut
    • The Happy Couple, Naoise Dolan
    • Dear Dolly, Should we let a pet dog come to our wedding?


    .

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    52 mins
  • Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Cooper and the new age of sexism
    Jun 19 2025

    The backlash against Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover supposedly satirising the male gaze has left us grappling with difficult questions, from how much moral responsibility Sabrina owes her young fans to whether this satire serves any greater purpose. Tying in with the release of Laura Bates’s brilliant new book The New Age of Sexism, we debate everything from how messy female ‘empowerment’ has become and what misogyny actually looks like in our terrifying age of AI. On theme, too, is our review of Alex Cooper’s new documentary about her meteoric Call Her Daddy fame: how does her sexual agency compare to Sabrina’s? And on a lighter note we start off with a juicy debrief on Dua Lipa’s new British Vogue cover. Enjoy hunnies!


    We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuupod too!


    Huge thanks to our sponsor⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yonder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the incredible lifestyle rewards credit card packed with rewards you’ll actually *want* to use. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yonder.com/straightup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Borrow responsibly. £15 a month. 18+ and UK only. Rep 66.0% APR var. T&Cs apply.


    Get 20% off the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives, London Nootropics, using our code straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠


    Recs/review

    • Dua Lipa, British Vogue
    • Dua Lipa, SkinnyTok and the Labubu doll craze
    • Pop Culture Takes Up Smoking Again, New York Times
    • Why Are People Mad at Sabrina Carpenter Again, The Cut
    • How Sabrina Carpenter Dream-Come-True'd Her Whole Life, Rolling Stone
    • The New Age of Sexism: how the AI Revolution is reinventing misogyny, Laura Bates
    • Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Conversation With Lana Del Rey, Pitchfork
    • Girl on Girl, Sophie Gilbert
    • Call Her Alex, Disney+
    • There's more to Alex Cooper than the 'Call Her Daddy' documentary suggests, Washington Post

    .

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 hr and 8 mins